Health& Wellness - Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center

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6 Sibling Relationships Receive Starring Role on the Big Screen in “Riding the Bus with My Sister” Support is as crucial for siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities as it is for parents and other family members, yet is an area that is often unintentionally overlooked by families with children with special needs as they juggle daily schedules. While in Los Angeles for the premiere screening of the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of “Riding the Bus with My Sister” on April 26, sibling support expert Donald Meyer, director of the Sibling Support Project of the Arc of the United States, was the key presenter at a Lanterman workshop designed for parents and professionals. The workshop explored sibling issues and support, as well as how to design and implement sibling support groups, that are structured after the Sibshops model. Several years ago, Meyer held a similar workshop at Lanterman and was instrumental in helping Lanterman re-establish its own Sibshops program. Lanterman’s Sibshops program is designed for siblings of children with special needs between 6 and 12 years of age as a place where they can meet other brothers and sisters of children with special needs and participate in a lively mixture of activities, games and discussion, and hear the occasional guest speaker. Sibshops participants talk about their brothers and sisters with others who really know what it’s like to have a sibling with a disability, make new friends, learn more about disabilities and the services that people with disabilities receive, and just have fun. “Riding the Bus with My Sister,” a film about the relationship that develops between two siblings over the course of a year they spent riding the bus together, aired on Sunday, May 1 on CBS. The film is inspired by the true story of Rachel Simon and her sister. It stars Rosie O’Donnell, Above: (left to right) Perspectives Festival Director Marielle Farnan, Lanterman Board Member Kristin Conder, Actress Andie MacDowell, Family Support Specialist Olivia Hinojosa and Director of Family Support Services Patricia Herrera at the screening of “Riding the Bus with My Sister.” What I Like About Sibshops… Ana Sancho, a Lanterman Sibshops participant, shares what she likes about the program. Above: (left to right) Lanterman parent Kelly Vencill-Sanchez, Marielle Farnan, Patricia Herrera, Actor Richard T. Jones, Author Rachel Simon and Olivia Hinojosa. At right: Marielle Farnan and Olivia Hinojosa chat with Director Anjelica Huston about sibling relationships and issues. Andie MacDowell, Richard T. Jones, and D.W. Moffett, and was directed by Anjelica Huston. “The film plays a very crucial role in raising awareness about the importance of sibling support. It’s not every day that well-known individuals in the film industry bring developmental disabilities and related issues to the big screen and into the homes of everyday Americans,” shares Olivia Hinojosa, family support specialist. Lanterman’s Sibshops programs are on hiatus for the summer, but will resume in September. There will be some changes to the program, including day, time and location. Check the Lanterman Web site closer to September for more information at www.lanterman.org/support/ supportgroups/sibshops.asp, or call 213.383.1300, x. 730 or toll-free at 800.546.3676, or e-mail kyrc@lanterman.org. At left: A sampling of siblingrelated resouces available through the Koch ◆Young Resource Center for siblings of all ages, parents and professionals who work with siblings of children and adults with special needs.
Give Kids a Smile SM is a Shining Success “A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.” When you think about how much a smile conveys and what an impression such a simple gesture can make, you realize the importance of comprehensive oral health care. “Lanterman Regional Center has long placed a high value on the importance of oral health. Participating in Give Kids a Smile SM was a way to help educate the parents and families of our early intervention and school-age clients about the impact that poor oral health can have on a child’s overall health, and to link caregivers to the appropriate community-based resources,” says Gwen Jordan, director of Clinical Services. This was Lanterman’s first year participating in Give Kids a Smile SM , which is the centerpiece of National Children’s Dental Health Month celebrated every February. The intent of this nationwide project is to highlight for lawmakers and policymakers the on-going challenges that disadvantaged children and children with disabilities face in accessing dental care, and raise their awareness that even though close to one million children are provided with dental education, screening, treatment and products during the daylong efforts on Friday, February 4, 2005 that this high level of charitable care will not alone solve the problem of untreated dental disease. “In just over four hours, we were able to reach out to over 300 Lanterman families and provide screenings for approximately 90 Lanterman clients and 45 of their siblings,” shares Leticia Reyes, Lanterman’s dental coordinator. For clients and their siblings who needed additional dental care, Reyes coordinated matching them with appropriate oral health care providers in the weeks following the event based on the severity indicated by the dentists and hygienists. Along with dental screenings, the dental health event also offered hands-on demonstrations The beginning of March, Bits & Bytes officially launched the volunteer recruitment phase of the Assistive Technology Project’s Mentors & Technology (MAT) program with a benefit concert at Dr. Music in Eagle Rock. Initially developed through a grant from Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, the program is now entering its implementation stage with funding from the Weingart Foundation. The MAT program will match TechMentors with TechUsers, who are persons with developmental disabilities who are just beginning to learn how to access technology as a developmental support. Over the course of a one-year commitment, TechMentors will assist persons with developmental disabilities to become more comfortable and efficient in using computer and assistive technology to enhance the quality of their daily lives. Throughout the course of the one-year commitment, a mentor’s involvement will vary depending upon time availability, as well as the needs of the person they will be supporting. MAT is designed to create volunteer opportunities within a less — AUTHOR UNKNOWN teaching appropriate brushing techniques, a children’s activity table, dental-related give away bags, and product samples. “All of the activities promoted prevention on the level for children and their parents to be able to learn and apply on a daily basis,” explains Reyes. “This was the first time that any regional center in California participated in the Give Kids a Smile SM initiative, and we were really delighted with the overwhelming response that we received from our community,” adds Jordan. “This event would not have been possible without Leticia Reyes and Silvia Flores who were the driving force behind it and worked very long hours to make it our event a shining success.” We’d like to give thanks to the following community-based individuals and organizations who donated their time and resources to help educate the Lanterman community about the importance of early and preventative oral health care, and assisted in connecting our families with the proper community-based dental health resources: Antonia Esparza, Gina Padilla and Andrea Soriano, Health Promotoras – St. John’s clinics part of the St. John’s Well Child and Family Center; Hollie Johnson, Omni (oral pharmaceuticals); Aurora Salazar, Eisner Pediatric and Family Medical Center; Joanna Lyman and Kenneth Mitchell, First 5 LA Connect; and Tammy Matison, Laclede Company (manufacturers of Biotine). We’d also like to acknowledge the following dentists, hygienists and other oral health care practitioners that made the educational demonstrations and screenings possible: Dr. Karen Borland (DDS), Dr. Virginia Castelo (DDS), Dr. Diana Grob (DDS), Dr. Liz Pak (DDS) and Dr. Seong Lee (DDS), as well as Takisha Allums, RDH; Amber Clavijo, RDH; Patty Feske, RDH; Joanne Fine, RDH; Mayella Francisco, RDH; Courtney Jang, RDH; Karla Morales, RDH; Orly Mottavasel, RDH; Joy structured context, and in essence can even be a virtual volunteer opportunity for individuals who cannot participate in a more traditional volunteer program. “We quickly realized that while many of our students achieve a level of success in class, outside they often face a series of road blocks when trying to apply their technology skills at home, work or in the community,” notes Martin Sweeney, director of the Assistive Technology Project. “For many students and families, a TechMentorship could potentially provide that little extra support that can make all the difference. The MAT project will attempt to help the beginner user develop a set of practical troubleshooting skills to help make using technology a more productive and meaningful experience.” More than 100 people attended the benefit concert, which was held on a Sunday evening, many of them Lanterman clients who participate in the Los Angeles Unified School District Division of Adult and Career Education computer classes. The musical group Bits & Bytes is an eclectic group of musicians led by Kevin Termunde, LAUSD instructor, and includes Sweeney along with Jason Bergs, Children enjoy dental-related activities, which included making crowns out of paper teeth and coloring. Ogami, RDH; and Nasrin Sarafin, RDH from West Los Angeles College Dental Hygiene Program. In addition, we’d like to extend a big thank you to all of the Lanterman staff and family members who staffed the various demonstration, information, activity and registration tables. Thanks to the following staff: Ardis Adrian, Anita Arcilla-Gutierrez, Mary Bakchakyan, Zena Begin, Jessye Davis, Nefertiti de Silva, Abraham Estrada, Silvia Flores, Mary Flynn, Jesse Gomez, Patricia Guzman, Gwen Jordan, Madeline Lara, Kimberly Lee, Jeanette Orlando, Roxana Ortiz, Irma Padilla, Rowena Pangan, Gloria Perez, Migdalia Sanchez, Mercede Shamlo, Lourdes Tabullo, Maria Tapia-Montes and Cecile Williams. Thanks to the following family members: Martha Barrera, Irma Cruz and Lucy Landeros. Also, special thanks to Dr. Greg Kaplan from Children’s Dental World who donated 200 children’s t-shirts and to Crest who donated all of the dental items for the kits, including toothpaste, battery operated toothbrushes, stickers and informational pamphlets. Look for more information on upcoming oral health-related training, events and health fairs in “Viewpoint” or on Lanterman’s Web site at www.lanterman.org. If you are interested in a one-on-one dental screening, contact your service coordinator for more information. Bits & Bytes Performs at Dr. Music to Get a Beat Going for Mentors & Technology Program Bits & Bytes rocks out at Dr. Music in Eagle Rock during a benefit concert for the Assistive Technology Project’s Mentors & Technology (MAT) program. Danny Nguyan, May Raquedan, Jason Watson, Robert Abiog and Melissa Mylinh Hoang. The evening was designed to promote MAT among students, Lanterman families, and local businesses and organizations who have expressed interest in supporting the project. Sponsors of the MAT benefit included Dr. Music, American Legion Post 276, Rick Hyman, Trader Joe’s, Chado Tea Room, Jones Coffee Roasters and Designer Framing. Event volunteers included Wally Cardona, Gordon Cardona, Danny Dumont, Mary Flynn, Garik Gyuloglyan, Catalina Herrera, Marcia Landeros, Sandy Riancho and Anna Weir. For more information about the MAT program, contact the Assistive Technology Project at 213.383.1300, x. 722 or atp@lanterman.org. Participants in the adult computer classes at Lanterman joined Bits & Bytes on stage to help get the beat going about MAT. 7
Page 1 and 2: INSIDE: DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT page
Page 3 and 4: The Director’s VIEWPOINT Rekindli
Page 5: Lanterman Receives 2005 Public Serv
Page 9 and 10: Walking for a Good Cause: Lanterman
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Page 15 and 16: Save the Date! Through the Roof Sum
Page 17 and 18: “little man” Continued from pag

Health& Wellness - Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center

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